What do Gold Mountain Golf Complex, McCormick Woods and Trophy Lake Golf & Casting have in common – besides the obvious answer of golfing? All three public courses draw golfers from the Puget Sound Region, with an average of 60 percent of golf greens revenues coming from outside Kitsap County. Competitive greens fees and challenging courses make our courses a desirable golfing destination for area golfers. Scott Alexander, of the Gold Mountain Golf Complex, notes that golfing at Kitsap golf courses is part of an experience that you don’t get in the urban settings. The drive or boat ride to Kitsap, coupled with good friends and good company, is part of the overall experience when golfing here.

Mark Knowles, Trophy Lake Golf and Casting, notes “In the Puget Sound, there are more rounds of golf in the summer than anywhere else in the country.” To that end, the Kitsap Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau promotes golfing as a draw to Kitsap County with a dedicated website – www.golfkitsap.com.

The three courses are also popular venues for weddings and receptions. The strength of the kitchen and catering staffs at each location, coupled with the gorgeous grounds, create a parallel business plan for Gold Mountain, McCormick Woods and Trophy Lake.

The proximity of three top-rated golf courses with competitive greens fees is a definite draw. Dedicated golfers can set up a morning tee time at McCormick Woods and spend the afternoon at Gold Mountain or Trophy Lake – and never travel more than 10 miles between the courses. While there is friendly competition among the courses, there is also a cooperative effort. It is not uncommon for one course to call another one when the tee times are filled for the day to make sure the golfer gets to play in Kitsap. A bystander is likely to hear one pro shop contact a neighboring shop to let them know the golfer is just finishing and on the way for their afternoon tee time.

An example of joint marketing and cooperative efforts is a golf coupon booklet being sold at Costco this holiday season. The three Kitsap County courses are part of ten showcased in the booklet. The Triple Eagle, a fall tournament where golfers play one round at each course, is another example of cooperative marketing.

All three courses are also a mini-study in clustering – it takes more than the greens to make a golf course. Added to the mix are the services and products needed to operate a restaurant, grounds maintenance, cleaning supplies, marketing and public relations, office supplies, laundry and retail operations. When possible, local companies are used for cleaning, grounds maintenance, office and restaurant supplies. When asked about the local workforce, all three courses only had positive things to say about Kitsap employees.

The similarities of the three courses are only part of the attraction – they have each have unique attributes that help make golfing in Kitsap County a positive part of our economy. Gold Mountain Golf Complex is one of three in the state with two courses. The Olympic course will host the USGA Amateur Public Links Tournament in 2006. Alexander has been with Gold Mountain for 19 years and has nothing but praise for the City of Bremerton and its dedication to the facility. That dedication is evidenced in the new restaurant; the pro shop and special event facility were built a few years ago with reinvested course revenues. The investment has increased the number of weddings booked at Gold Mountain.

Jeff Mehlert, a partner at McCormick Woods, had several years experience as a PGA golf pro before purchasing the facility earlier this year. He and partner Shawn Cucciardi assumed ownership on Sept. 3. Mehlert is committed to growing the sport among youth, evidenced by his long involvement with the Northwest Junior Golf Tour. The Thiel/Mehlert Mizzumo Golf School will be a new addition at McCormick Woods in the coming months. Joe Thiel, named by Golf Magazine as one of the top 50 golf instructors, will be in charge of instruction at the school. McCormick Woods will soon open an indoor teaching facility, and add golf fitting and club repair to their services.

Mark Knowles, of Trophy Lake Golf and Casting, has been with the course since it opened in 1999. In February 2003, ownership of the course changed to the Heritage Golf Group. External changes were minimal, as Heritage had been managing the course for two years. Knowles notes they host several tournament groups, as well as corporate and organization events. Local high school and college students are a great resource for summer employees. Knowles states that he can always find hardworking and competent people who wish to work seasonally.

While the golfing industry may have seen a downturn in the past months, these three courses feel they have been more fortunate than others. That fortune can be attributed to our close proximity to Seattle, the “experience” you get when golfing in Kitsap and the better value achieved by golfing here. As Kitsap continues to attract visitors and new companies, we are confident the high quality golfing available here will be an important part of that attraction.

(Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of articles on the tourism industry cluster in Kitsap County. In October, we presented Olympic Outdoor Center, a Poulsbo company with ties to both the marine and tourism industries Last month we focused on Port Gamble, a “company town” filled with history and experience. This month, we study the golf industry in Kitsap County and its draw throughout the region.).